At Missouri’s annual Black & Gold Spring Game, Maty Mauk and the Tigers played in front of an announced crowd of 30,117 on a wet afternoon at Faurot Field.
In a game in which the final score meant very little, Tiger2 defeated Mizzou1, 17-10. Tiger2, a team which featured the second string in the first half, and the third string in the second, was spotted a 14-0 lead from the game’s onset. Mizzou1 starred Missouri’s first string in the first half, and the second string in the second half.
After DE Marcus Loud sacked QB Eddie Printz in the game’s opening series, Russell Hansbrough found success running the football for Mizzou1, rushing for 36 yards on just six carries. After rushing for 1084 yards and 10 TDs in 2014, Hansbrough figures to become the Tigers’ feature tailback in 2015.
After leading the Tigers to an 11-2 mark in 2014, QB Maty Mauk completed 9 of 14 passes for 68 yards and a TD on Saturday afternoon. After missing WR Wesley Leftwich on two potential long touchdown passes early in the first half, Mauk connected with WR J’Mon Moore on a 3 yard TD pass with just two seconds remaining before halftime. Mauk also showed off his mobility throughout the first half, running for a team-high 40 yards on just six carries.
Backup QB Eddie Printz also threw the ball efficiently on Saturday, completing 12 of 16 passes for 73 yards. In the second half, the speedy QB Marvin Zanders threw for 68 yards, highlighted by a 25 yard pass to WR Raymond Wingo. A former defensive back, Wingo led all receivers with 53 receiving yards on the afternoon.
On the defensive side of the ball, starting DE Charles Harris matched Loud’s sack with one of his own in the second quarter. Backup defensive linemen Spencer Williams and Justin Grava also tallied one sack each. CB David Johnson and LB Joey Burkett each led the team with six total tackles.
UP NEXT: After Saturday’s scrimmage, the Tigers will next play at Faurot Field on September 5th, for the team’s season opener against Southeast Missouri State.